MANAWAHE ROAD UPDATE

Following our last correspondence (Friday, 23 June) please find an update regarding Manawahe Road flooding mitigation and its impacts to nearby residents.

Floodwater pumping

We are pleased to advise that despite significant fluctuations in flood levels, even during small amounts of rain and without pumping, the floodwaters have not returned to the level of the road.

We continue to support the owners of the flood affected property that have an outstanding insurance claim, in progressing their claim.

Two neighbouring property owners have agreed on a short-term basis to allow for the continued discharge of flood water on to their farm drainage system, on an as-and-when required basis. We will continue to closely monitor the site and, if the water rises to road level and there is rain forecast, we will return the pumps to site and action pumping until such time as the water recedes to
a satisfactory level.

We extend our thanks to the landowners for their continued cooperation and note this is a short-term solution to keeping this section of Manawahe Road open while long term options are further assessed and evaluated.

Long term options update

We are now in receipt of a preliminary report from an independent engineer identifying options to mitigate the flooding of Manawahe Road. We are now working through the next stage of the process,
which involves a more detailed options analysis of the feasible options provided in terms of cost, viability and timeframes.

Road open with extreme caution

A reminder, the road is now navigable with extreme caution. While the road is now officially open, it has a speed restriction of 10km/hr. 

We will continue to provide regular updates on this situation. If you have any questions, please email manawahe.road@whakatane.govt.nz or call 07 306 0500 and speak to one of our customer services team members.

MANAWAHE ROAD UPDATE 

Following our last correspondence (Thursday, 15 June) here is an update regarding Manawahe Road flooding and its impacts on access and kerbside rubbish services. 

Floodwater pumping

We continue to pump water from the site. It is managing to maintain the water level around 200mm depth below the outside unsealed edge of the road.

Looking ahead, the forecast is for a lot more rain to come over the weekend and well into next week. We will continue to keep the pump operating and will review this late next week. 

Long term options update

Council has commissioned an independent engineer to investigate a long-term solution to the flooding of Manawahe Road, taking into account the most recent climate change forecasts. The consultant is treating this with urgency and we’re expecting to receive the report within the next fortnight. Once the report has been received, a public meeting will be held to discuss the report recommendations.

Road open with extreme caution

A reminder, the road is now navigable with extreme caution. While the road is now officially open, it has a speed restriction of 10km/hr. 

Rubbish collection

We are pleased to advise, this Monday’s kerbside rubbish services will resume as normal. We thank you for your willingness to utilise the alternative solution previously provided.

Keeping you informed

We appreciate the challenges this situation has caused for you. We will continue to provide regular updates on this situation. If you have any questions, please email manawahe.road@whakatane.govt.nz or call 07 306 0500 and speak to one of our customer services team members.

Kia ora 

MANAWAHE ROAD UPDATE 

Following our last correspondence (Friday, 9 June) here is an update regarding Manawahe Road flooding and its impacts on access and kerbside rubbish services. 

Floodwater pumping

With the cooperation of two neighbouring property owners, the floodwaters are being pumped to a nearby farm drainage system. This work has been successful in reducing the depth of the floodwaters. At the deepest point on the road, the water level has dropped to 150mm deep on the centerline, 200mm in an eroded area next to the centreline, and 250 on the outside edges.

Road now open with extreme caution

We are pleased to let you know the floodwaters have been lowered to a depth whereby we consider the road is now navigable with extreme caution. While the road is now officially open, it has a speed restriction of 10km/hr. Signage will be erected to reflect this. The road surface will be thoroughly inspected once the floodwaters have receded to below the road surface level.

Strict temporary closure to ALL vehicles this Friday 8am-12noon

To lower the water level further we need to install a pipe across the road to provide a buffer against further flooding in the short term, and allow us to comprehensively inspect damage to the road surface.

This means that this Friday, 16th June, the road will be temporarily closed to ALL vehicles between the hours of 8am-12noon to allow works to take place. Any traffic attempting to move through the area will be turned around.

Rubbish collection

Regarding this coming Monday’s kerbside rubbish services, at this stage we are not entirely sure as to whether our trucks will be able to access affected properties as this is dependant on the water level dropping further. With this in mind, we ask that you please put your rubbish in to the black sacks we have provided, and place these inside your usual wheelie bin. This means whether we use the ute and trailer option, or our usual refuse trucks, your rubbish will be collected one way or the other. 
We will advise when normal kerbside rubbish and recycling services resume. We thank you for your willingness to utilise the alternative solution provided and for your patience.

Keeping you informed

We appreciate the challenges this situation has caused for you. We will continue to provide regular updates on this situation. If you have any questions, please email manawahe.road@whakatane.govt.nz or call 07 306 0500 and speak to one of our customer services team members.
 

Floodwater pumping

On Monday 12 June, Whakatāne District Council will begin pumping floodwaters in an effort to reinstate safe access across the flooded section of Manawahe Road.

We will lower the floodwater by pumping to a depth whereby the road will be safely navigable (less than 300mm of surface water). Once the water level has been lowered, we will inspect the surface of the road and, assuming it is sound, the road can be re-opened with caution under reduced speed restrictions. We will also monitor floodwater levels over the next few days  and then review whether or not further pumping is required.

At this stage we are unsure how long it will take to lower the water down to a level where we are able to inspect the road.

This short-term interim solution is possible due to a nearby landowner agreeing to a water discharge location on their property. The water will be pumped and discharged into the head of a farm drain which gravity flows into a stream. We aim to reopen the road as quickly as possible which will mean pumping as much water as we can without overloading the farm drainage system.

We have concerns about the longevity of this option, particularly if we continue to get more heavy rain, however re-instating access is a priority as Manawahe Road is an important route. While the emergency pumping occurs, we will continue to investigate a long-term resilient solution to this issue and will keep you updated with how this is progressing.

We ask you to note that until the water level has been lowered, Manawahe Road remains closed for people's safety. 

Road access

McIvor Road continues to be used as a detour. Vegetation control has been completed, and pre-grading work has also been done. Re-metaling of the road is underway (approximately 1200T out of the 3500T programmed has been placed). This work will continue for another week. Within some of the shaded areas of the road, the metal is quite wet, so caution is needed when driving.

As previously mentioned, the level of maintenance and service to the road will increase due to the expected increase in traffic. We continue to look into what further improvement options for the road are achievable, particularly given the vulnerability of SH30 at Rotomā.

Rubbish collection

Kerbside rubbish services that have been impacted are being serviced by a ute and trailer unit via McIvor Road. Rubbish sacks are being dropped off at affected properties during the weekly run (Mondays). Please put out your glass recycling crate as usual and put all other rubbish in the black sack provided. Recycling that would usually go in your yellow lid bin will not be picked up. You can either drop this off for free at the Whakatāne Refuse Centre, or add it in to your general waste inside the black sacks provided.

Kia ora

MANAWAHE ROAD UPDATE

Following our last correspondence (Thursday, 25 May) please find the below update regarding Manawahe Road flooding, and its impacts on access and kerbside rubbish services.

We’re putting together a list of frequently asked questions and responses to help provide you with as much information on this situation as possible. We’ll have these to you early next week. In the meantime, if you have a question you’d like answered, please email manawaheroad@whakatane.govt.nz

Response team

On Thursday a dedicated Incident response team met with the aim of promptly working on the practical options available in the short term. This group includes representatives from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waka Kotahi, Rotorua Lakes Council and Kawerau District Council. We will also be joining a wider Incident Management Team lead out of Rotorua Lakes Council as many of the issues we are facing are connected, such as the ongoing access vulnerabilities of SH30 at Rotomā.

Medium to long term options will require further and thorough investigation. Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff are working to better understand the environmental conditions contributing to the current situation. Additionally, a Geotechnical specialist has been engaged.

Road access

The flooded section of Manawahe Road remains closed for people’s safety. We are concerned residents are ignoring this road closure and this is a risk to safety. In addition, an official road closure holds legal accountability, and any insurance claims relating to driving on a Council closed road will not be approved.

McIvor Road continues to be used as a detour. We prioritised vegetation control work on the road which is completed and has made a significant difference. Re-metaling and re-grading of the road is scheduled for this coming week. In addition, the level of maintenance and service to the road will increase due to the expected increase in traffic. We will now also begin looking into what further improvement options for the road are achievable, particularly given the vulnerability of SH30 at Rotomā.

Rubbish collection

Kerbside rubbish services that have been impacted are being serviced by a ute and trailer unit via McIvor Road. Rubbish sacks are being dropped off to affected properties during the weekly run (Mondays). Please put out your glass recycling crate as usual and put all other rubbish in the black sack provided. Recycling that would usually go in your yellow lid bin will not be picked up. You can either drop this off for free at the Whakatāne Refuse Centre, or add it in to your general waste inside the black sacks provided.

Keeping you informed

We appreciate the challenges this situation has caused for you. We are working to do what we can to alleviate these pressures. It Is important to note, the water in the area is not dropping and we are not expecting this situation to change for some time.

We would like to keep in touch with you. Please tell us how we can best to do this by emailing us at manawahe.road@whakatane.govt.nz or calling 07 306 0500 and speaking to one of our customer services team members.

What’s happening? 

In 2022, 3.0m rainfall was recorded in the Rotomā / upper Manawahe area. To date in 2023, the catchment has received 0.8m of rainfall. Lake Rotomā is currently at the record water level of 1972.  

The properties at 1825 and 1847 Manawahe Road have been flooded for some eight months now, with ongoing attempts from Whakatāne District Council to pump water. The two properties have since been yellow stickered, with one property having completed the insurance process, and the other now involved in this process with support from Council. 

Prolonged bad weather has seen the water level continue to rise and covering the road surface around the 18 kilometre mark. The road was closed on 12 May 2023 for safety reasons. The water level at the deepest point on the road is 500mm on the inside of the corner and 350mm on the outside.  

What we’re doing about it 

Council has assembled a dedicated team to work promptly on the practical options available in both the short and long term. This group includes representatives from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waka Kotahi, Rotorua Lakes Council and Kawerau District Council. 

Road access 

The flooded section of Manawahe Road remains closed for people’s safety. A detour for residents through McIvor Road is achievable, however the road is narrow and unsealed. In the short term, Council has prioritised vegetation control and the re-metaling and re-grading of the road will follow. In addition, the level of maintenance and service to the road will increase due to the expected increase in traffic.  

Rubbish collection 

Kerbside rubbish services that have been impacted are being serviced by a ute and trailer unit via McIvor Road. Rubbish sacks are being dropped off to affected properties during the weekly run (Mondays). Please put out your glass recycling crate as usual and put all other rubbish in the black sack provided. Recycling that would usually go in your yellow lid bin will not be picked up. You can either drop this off for free at the Whakatāne Refuse Centre, or add it in to your general waste inside the black sacks provided. 

Keeping you informed 

We appreciate the challenges this significant rainfall has caused for you. We are working together to do what we can to alleviate these pressures. 

We would like to keep in touch with you. Can you please tell us how we can best to do that by emailing us at manawahe.road@whakatane.govt.nz or calling 07 306 0500 and speaking to one of our customer services team members. 

Manawahe community, we're just dropping you a line to let you know we've been beavering away in the background trying to pull together some short-term and long-term options. 
We want to let you know that we're aware of the challenges you're facing and the stress that it's causing. We're working together on short and long-term options to help you. We'll be in touch tomorrow with communication directly to those who are affected, but for now, here's some info:

ROAD CLOSURE / ACCESS

A section of Manawahe Road remains closed due to significant flooding (closed from the 18km mark through to Matahī Road intersection).

A detour for residents through McIvor Road is achievable, however the road is one-lane and unsealed. In the short term, Council has prioritised vegetation control (commencing tomorrow) and the re-metaling and re-grading of the road will follow. The level of maintenance and service to this road will also increase due to the expected increase in traffic.

SH30 is currently closed to westbound traffic between SH34 (Kawerau) and Matahī Road, Lake Rotomā. A detour via Matatā and Paengaroa is required. Eastbound traffic may still travel this section of SH30 with caution. Please keep a close eye on the Waka Kotahi journey planner for updates (www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner). 

RUBBISH

Today's attempt to service kerbside rubbish with a ute and trailer via McIvor Road was successful and we collected over half a tonne of waste! 

Starting from this Monday, affected Manawahe properties will continue to temporarily have their kerbside rubbish picked up this way. Please use the black sacks we'll provide you each week, and leave your household rubbish where you'd usually place your bins. It's recycling day this Monday - please put out your glass recycling crate as usual. Recycling that would usually go in your yellow lid bin will not be picked up. Please either drop this off for free at the Whakatāne Refuse Centre if you can, or add it in to your general waste inside the black sacks provided. Properties east of the flooded section continue to receive normal kerbside services.

STAY UP TO DATE

We'll be sending out regular information to affected residents. At this stage we'll be doing this by email, web updates (at www.whakatane.govt.nz/manawaheroad), letter drops for those that need them, and on our social media accounts. If you're a resident wanting to be included in email updates, or have something to share with us, please email manawaheroad@whakatane.govt.nz 
This is an evolving situation - and we'll continue to keep you updated.

On 12th May Whakatane District Council closed Manawahe Road until further notice after severe weather caused significant flooding near the 18km mark (the road is closed at the 18km mark through to Matahi Road intersection). Unfortunately continued rain has meant the flooding has not had a chance to subside. This means that for residents after #1840, access is becoming a problem and kerbside rubbish services can't get through to you. 

We want to let you know that we are aware of this situation, and the stress that it's causing. We empathise with you and we are working on solutions to this. 

RUBBISH:

This Wednesday 24th - we're going to attempt to collect your waste using a vehicle with a high wheel base for those houses after #1840 who are affected by the flooding. We're asking everyone who usually receives kerbside services to leave their rubbish sacks where you'd usually place your bins, and we'll try to pick them up. We'll also leave behind some black rubbish sacks in your letter boxes. If this mission fails, we'll come back to you and let you know what Plan B looks like.

Remember, if you can get to Whakatāne safely, Manawahe residents who receive kerbside services can drop off rubbish free of charge at the Whakatāne Refuse Station. Just get in touch with us and let us know your registration plate details and what time you’ll be there and we'll sort it for you.

ROAD FLOODING:

The flooding on the road is approx. 500mm deep at the moment. As a general rule, large trucks can usually get through flood waters up to about 700mm, 4x4 about 400mm and cars about 150mm - so that should give some indication of what we're dealing with. 

We really don't want anyone moving through the flood waters if at all possible, including our crews, however we understand these are exceptional circumstances.  If you have a high vehicle and do so - this is at your own risk. Please don’t tamper with the signage and cones that are in place – it’s really important for everyone’s safety they stay put.

The re-opening of Manawahe Road is water level dependant. The road can re-open when the water level is low enough for the various traffic types listed above can move safely through the area. Access is available either end of the flooding at Manawahe Road (connecting on to Matatā end) and Matahī Road (which connects on to SH30 through Rotomas). The Rotomas are currently down to one lane in multiple locations. Stay up to date with the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.

In the meantime, we're monitoring the level of the water, and are beavering away behind the scenes scoping out how to improve the resilience of the road going forward.

This is an evolving situation - and we'll continue to keep you updated.